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500 Main St. Springfield, OR 97477
Gift Shop and Gallery Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday 11- 4 pm
youth art camp 2025
July 15-August 22
Tuesday to Friday 1-5 pm
Youth 9-12
Teen 13-17
Learn from professional artists, painters and creators and make art!
Our summer program is designed for youth to explore a variety of visual and digital art and cultivate creativity! Students will develop new skills and techniques while having the flexibility and freedom for self-expression and discovery. We pair traditional mediums like drawing, ink and watercolors with technology, using iPads and Apple Pencils to design, sketch and learn new tools. With less than 14 youth in each camp, students receive quality instruction and get to make art alongside not only professional artists, but also new friends!
Artwork created during the first four sessions of camp will be exhibited at Emerald Art Center during Springfield Art Walk on August 8th. Campers' artwork from all sessions will be on display throughout the month of August.
Families may pick up their camper's artwork Friday, August 29th or Saturday, August, 30th during regular EAC hours (11am-4pm)
“It was so cool seeing my daughters confidence soar after the week of camp.”
”Great projects with a focus on older kids.”
“(I learned) blending in, highlighting, realistic artwork and real life advice. I love art. It showed my feelings in a colorful and artistic way.”
Thank you to the Dotty & Frank Light Family for making this camp possible! Special thanks to the following organizations for supporting scholarships to low-income families.
2025 camp sessions
Unlock Your Artist Vision: Learn to Draw People
Teen 13-17
July 15-18 from 1-5 pm
Thi Nguyen
Artists use many tools to “see” and draw people, to create believable illusions of reality. In this camp, we will do LOTS of loose drawings of people, using photo references and live student models. While there is structure, the class is really about learning to see differently, finding what works for you, and having fun drawing! By the end of this class, you will have the experience to sketch studies of people in real time at home, school, and wherever you are. You will also have the beginning tools to take your drawings of people and play with composition and storytelling.
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Day 1: Drawing Full Figures, gesture, proportion, and blocking-in
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Day 2: Heads, negative space, angles, and values
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Day 3: Hands, feet, and perspective with a drawing-from-life scavenger hunt
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Day 4: Figures in composition, aerial perspective, creating narrative composition
Uyen-thi (T) Nguyen is an oil painter living in Cottage Grove, where friendly strangers sometimes hop on your shoulder as you’re walking home. She is a recipient of several grants and awards, including the 2023 & 2024 People’s Choice Award at the National Spring Exhibition at Emerald Art Center. Her work has been exhibited in New York City and Portland, Oregon, as well as in small cities throughout the state and U.S.
Creating Comics
(FULL - Waitlist Only)
Youth 9-12
July 22-25 from 1-5 pm
Jen Hernandez
Make your own comic book characters, comic strips, zines, digital comics and stickers in this weeklong camp celebrating all things comics! Perfect for students who like to write stories, tell jokes, or make up characters, this camp includes everything we need to make our own comic stories with traditional and digital media. In this camp, students will practice character design, comic story structure and planning, and world-building to create original or fan comics, led by local illustrator, Jen Hernandez. All students welcome!
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Day 1: Introductions, comic self-portrait, diary comic
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Day 2: Dynamic poses, perspective and camera angles, world-building
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Day 3: Comic story arcs, planning panels, 'zines, and stickers
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Day 4: Comic book release party - writing a blurb, posters, thumbnails, showcase
Jen Hernandez is an artist and educator based in the Pacific Northwest. Her painting, illustration and storytelling in comics centers on themes of nature, adventure, and fantasy inspired by temperate rainforests and Filipino folklore. Her artwork, writing can be found at jenhernandezart.com.
Multiverse of Manga
Teen 13-17
July 29-Aug 1 from 1-5 pm
Jen Hernandez
In this camp, we’re going deep on the art of manga! We’ll read our favorite titles, practice manga drawing skills, and create our own stories. We’ll learn by examining how manga artists have put their own unique twist on characters and stories, and use those skills to make something new. Students can create their own characters and worlds, and exchange their manga at the end of the week!
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Day 1: Tool introduction (felt-tip-pens, paper, iPads), analyzing manga, principles of story
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Day 2: Tool challenge (dip pens and watercolor), layout, poses, sketching, library visit
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Day 3: Traditional to digital and back, stickers, words that are sounds, images that are tastes (and smells), work time, sharing what you've made and read so far
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Day 4: Finishing manga pages, art showcase, students share work and favorite manga
Reading Material: Books selected and provided by the instructor have been reviewed for content to be appropriate for readers ages 12 and older. Students are encouraged to bring their own favorite manga and books to share with others, although these have not been vetted by the instructor. Please speak to your child about selecting books that are appropriate for an educational environment, and encourage your child to make personal choices for what material they are comfortable reading and talking about. If you have questions about comic book or manga content, please feel free to email the instructor: jen@jenhernandezart.com
Jen Hernandez is an artist and educator based in the Pacific Northwest. Her painting, illustration and storytelling in comics centers on themes of nature, adventure, and fantasy inspired by temperate rainforests and Filipino folklore. Her artwork, writing can be found at jenhernandezart.com.
Acrylic Adventure
Youth 9-12
August 5-8 from 1-5 pm
Will Paradis
Calling young painters! Pack your artistic backpack with color theory, mixing, tools, and techniques before setting out to explore the wild world of acrylic painting. Over land-, sea-, and space(-scapes) you will journey into representation and abstraction. Finally, return to base camp for a day of painting games with your fellow adventurers, and open studio time to finish your masterpieces.
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Day 1: Introductions, goals, color theory and mixing, tools and techniques, open painting
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Day 2: Defining "-scapes" in art, nature-focused color mixing activities, open painting
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Day 3: Introduction to abstraction in art, abstract composition, open painting time
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Day 4: Finish paintings, gallery walk, collaborative painting games, prepare for exhibition
Will (Paradis) loves painting and is dedicated to sharing that passion with others. A practicing Artist for over 25 years and a teaching Artist for 12, he emphasizes creativity, exploration, and imagination in his approach to creating and teaching. Will has a repertoire of thousands of paintings and drawings, both abstract and representational, that embody years of travel, study, and practice. His background in Art History allows him to share a historical context for Art making today. He is dedicated to the cause of enriching the creative consciousness of the human purpose. Learn more at artfortruth.com
Exploring Watercolor
Teen 13-17
August 12-15 from 1-5 pm
Will Paradis
Dive into watercolor with color theory, mixing, tools, and techniques. Go deeper: study landscapes, seascapes, and spacescapes to find inspiration for your own worlds. Leave the shores of representation to explore abstraction in watercolor. Enjoy relaxing open studio time to paint and hob-nob with other campers. You will leave this session with multiple paintings, new art friends, and skills to grow on!
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Day 1: Introductions, goals, color theory and mixing, tools and techniques, open painting
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Day 2: Defining "-scapes" in art, nature-focused color mixing activities, open painting
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Day 3: Abstraction, using watercolor on canvas, composition, open painting time
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Day 4: Finish paintings, gallery walk, prepare artwork for exhibition
Will (Paradis) loves painting and is dedicated to sharing that passion with others. A practicing Artist for over 25 years and a teaching Artist for 12, he emphasizes creativity, exploration, and imagination in his approach to creating and teaching. Will has a repertoire of thousands of paintings and drawings, both abstract and representational, that embody years of travel, study, and practice. His background in Art History allows him to share a historical context for Art making today. He is dedicated to the cause of enriching the creative consciousness of the human purpose. Learn more at artfortruth.com
Fantastic Fibers
Youth 9-12
August 19-22 from 1-5 pm
Reve Hendrix
Want to sew your own stuffie, puppet or mask? This is the session for you! In this session, campers will have an opportunity to try their hand at sewing, weaving and other fiber art projects. We will increase our skills, artistic confidence, and creativity while building community and making friends. Art history will be integrated, as we examine traditions and cultures from around the world, such as Huichol yarn art and Ojos de Dios. Whether you're threading a needle for the first time, or have been sewing for ages, this camp has something to offer everyone!
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Day 1: Community building, basic sewing stitches, and weaving
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Day 2: Introduction to sewing patterns and macramé
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Day 3: Art critiques, friendship bracelet station, and sewing time for main projects
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Day 4: Macramé and sewing continued, friendship bracelet exchange, merit badges
Reve Hendrix is a practicing artist and middle school teacher with a passion for fiber arts. She finds inspiration in nature, and everyday life. When not making art or teaching, she can be found exploring the outdoors with her family and miniature dachshund. Recently, her work has been displayed at Maryhill Museum, Maude Kerns Art Center, and MECCA. You can check out some of her art at: www.instagram.com/everhendrix/
